OPINION: En route to busy buses

Public transport is often the target of criticism from the people who use the service and the media.

The concept should be fairly simple – get people from A to B in the quickest time possible for a cost-effective price.

Punctuality and cleanliness are also must-haves for our buses, trains and trams across the area.

So it is heartening to note that more people are using buses in Rotherham than they were – with an increase in 100,000 passengers over the last year.

The increase in passenger numbers is being attributed to improvements in the area’s bus service following the introduction of the Rotherham Bus Partnership in July 2014.

Since the partnership launch, fare-paying passengers have risen by 240,000 – an increase of six per cent – and child passengers by 20,000 – 2.7 per cent.

Records show improvements in punctuality and reliability, with 92 per cent of buses running on time and 98.6 per cent as scheduled.

Similar partnerships exist across our region.

Public transport is a necessary part of daily life and while the companies and councils who are involved in the service should be held to account they also should be praised when they’re doing it right.